The B-52's Top Ten Songs

After beginning New Wave Month with the fabulous B-52s, I got to listening to their stuff over and over again, and after the third go-around I thought to myself, "why not do a top ten list of B-52s songs?"  A day later, voila!  The list was made, with commentary of course, and submitted to Yahoo.  The piece was just published and I thought I'd share it here along with my pick for #4, the classic Planet Claire.  Check out The B-52's Top Ten Songs.

The B-52_s Planet Claire live from 1983 by linoc804

Song of the Day (And a New Album!) - Love to Love You Baby - Donna Summer

Today is the day Donna Summer fans have been long waiting for.  Love to Love You Donna is a brand new compilation album of some of the icon's best known hits been reworked and remixed by some of today's hottest mixmasters, and it's definitely on my download list for the day.  The album contains a previously unreleased track called La Dolce Vita that Donna recorded with longtime collaborator Giorgio Moroder. You can check out a stream of the tune right here.

electronicrumors

I'm looking forward to checking this one out and I only wish I could share one of the new remixes here, but once again, YouTube....grrr!!!!  Anyway, since the album's titled Love to Love You Donna, I figured I'd throw this rare live performance of that tune for you to enjoy.  And afterwards, check out the tracklist of the album below.

  

Donna Summer - LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY by Verdegaio

Love to Love You Donna Tracklist

1. Love To Love You Baby (Giorgio Moroder feat. Chris Cox Remix)
2. Dim All The Lights (Duke Dumont Remix)
3. Hot Stuff (Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper as Director’s Cut Signature Mix)
4. I Feel Love (Afrojack Remix)
5. Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger) [Chromeo & Oliver Remix]
6. Sunset People (Hot Chip Dub)
7. Working The Midnight Shift (Holy Ghost! Remix)
8. Bad Girls (Gigamesh Remix)
9. MacArthur Park (Laidback Luke Remix)
10. I Feel Love (Benga Remix)
11. On The Radio (Jacques Greene Remix)
12. Last Dance (Masters at Work Remix Short Version)
13. La Dolce Vita by Donna Summer & Giorgio Moroder (Unreleased Track)

Be sure to check out some pieces I've written on Donna for Yahoo...

Donna Summer: Reigning Disco Queen to Enduring Superstar

Donna Summer's Top Twenty Songs

Fifteen Awesome Donna Summer Songs You Probably Never Heard

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November 23rd, 2011 - Writing Wednesday

It’s Thanksgiving Eve and time for an early version of “Writing Wednesday.” It hasn’t been too busy of a week, but here goes…


Source: R.U.Crazy

Gather

Will.i.am’s New Song

The Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am is working on a new album called “#Willpower,” and he debuted the first single from the set on Sunday night’s American Music Awards. The song is called “T.H.E. (The Hardest Thing Ever)” and it features Jennifer Lopez and Mick Jagger on vocals, and I like it!

New Music Mania

My weekly new music update features a big week in new stuff, with a little for everybody including Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Nickelback, Daughtry, Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift and more.

Here's MJB's newest:






Examiner

Thanksgiving Eve happenings around Long Island

Thanksgiving Eve is one of the biggest nights of the year to for going out, and there’s plenty of hot happenings all over the island tonight only….too bad they’re all straight clubs, lol.

Y!CN

Thanksgiving Nuggets

I always post a Thanksgiving piece on Y!CN this time of year, and this year I did a little something different.

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November 16th, 2011 - Writing Wednesday

Well, I missed last week’s “Writing Wednesday” and so you might think I’d have a lot to share here for two weeks worth of writing, but it’s really not too much. Life’s been really hectic and there hasn’t been a lot of time for writing like I’d like, unfortunately, and so here goes nothing:


Source: gleehab

Gather

New Music for the week of November 14th

This is the one that got rejected, then put up on Y!CN for a spell, then accepted back on to Gather. This week’s new albums include Drake’s sophomore set, a R.E. M. retrospective and a new Christmas album from the Gleesters.

Mary J. Blige’s Streaming Live Event

Yes, MJB is back and she’s doing a special live streaming concert tomorrow night, November 17th, and for the special show she’ll be performing the entire, original “My Life” album. Should be awesome!

A New Thrill Park in Orlando?

This one was really exciting to research. Developers are planning a new amusement park in Orlando featuring 8 brand new world-class coasters, something which has been sorely lacking in the land of make believe. Plans are still tentative, but fingers are crossed!


Source: Orlando Theme Park News

Examiner

Long Island’s Farmer’s Markets

I work in Long Island Farm Country and I just love going into all of the special farm stands to buy fresh veggies, hoe-baked goods and lots of other cool stuff. Well, farmer’s markets are places where the farmer’s bring their wares to you and they are literally all over the island. Thanksgiving is a great time of year to get these goods while they’re out there, so check it out.


Source: Flickr

Extended Long Island Restaurant Week

LI Restaurant Week has officially ended, but five great restaurants around the island have extended their prix fixe meals for even more great dining bargains.

Let the Shopping Begin at Holiday Craft Fairs

I love a good craft fair! You can find all sorts of unique items for gifts or for yourself, and there are plenty of them to go around beginning this weekend.

Source: RoFoHeadgear

Y!CN

It All Started with Ruth Buzzi

I’ve only written one piece for Y!CN in the past two weeks and it’s the second in a series I hope to do on the Occupy Wall Street movement. The topic of the piece is eliminating campaign financing and it was inspired by comedienne Ruth Buzzi, who favorited it on Twitter and then wrote me with a complement and to tell me that my piece inspired her to write her own...hmmm, looking forward to that!


Source: I'm Learning to Share

Well that's all she wrote for now. I hope to be back on time next week with at least as many new pieces as I've shared for the past two. We shall see...As always, thanks for reading!

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Thanksgiving Thanks - Readers

Source: TheMiddleShelf

I’m thankful for my readers

Okay, so this one is especially for you, my readers. Over the past four and a half years I’ve been writing all kinds of things online, from music articles and such to social commentary and news items and a whole bunch of other stuff, and I’ve definitely developed some sort of a following from it and I am forever thankful.

I’ve had some really cool interactions with several people who’ve read my work, from Puffy at YourLI.com, who gave me a yearlong job reviewing restaurants, to my fellow writers at Yahoo Contributor Network, who’ve interviewed me and written about me themselves, and just recently comedienne Ruth Buzzi wrote me to let me know that I’ve inspired her to write a piece for Yahoo. How cool is that?

I’ve also got some friends who check me out regularly and I’d like to thank each and every one of them, from Nancy Lou to Dita and Terry, Ivan and Rita. It’s nice to know that, at least hopefully, they all find some value in this old blog and the sometimes crazy, off-centered type of things I write about.

Anyway, so that’s my thank you of the day today. I really appreciate all of whom visit my stuff here, at Y!CN, Examiner, or Gather, whether it’s every day or just once in awhile. Have a great Sunday!

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November 3rd, 2011 - Writing Wednesday

Hello all, today’s already November 2nd and before you know it, you-know-what will be here…Yikes! I don’t even wanna think about that just yet, though I’ve already been seeing that ‘décor’ in stores already… I'm dreading the music already!

Writing Wednesday

Well it’s Wednesday and time to share what I’ve been up to in the past week. I’ve had a pretty busy week overall, writing-wise, and I’ve got plenty more on my plate in the days to come. Hopefully, things will be fruitful (especially if any of you gimme a few clicks, wink!). Here goes:

Gather

Now Gather is the one place where no one can subscribe to me, and it’s the best paying site that I write for. It’s one of the primary reasons for adding these articles to Writing Wednesday and I really appreciate any reads of these pieces as I still try to get my groove on over there…


Source: AT40

Details emerging on new Madonna album

Like many of my fellow Madonna fans, the news that she has been working on a new album finally is very exciting, and some new tidbits came out this week about it, including some info on her first single which features rappers Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.

VH1 Divas Live celebrates soul music

The latest “Divas” show on VH1 features exciting performances by Mary J. Blige, Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson and more. The concert, which celebrates soul music and some of the places where it thrives, will air on the channel on December 19th.

New Music: Week of October 31st, 2011

This week spotlights new Florence and the Machine and a Christmas album from teen heartthrob Justin Bieber.

Here's "Shake it Out" from Florence and the Machine's new "Ceremonials":






Source: Pracktikel

Y!CN

After almost three weeks, I finally got an article out on Yahoo Contributor Network. It’s a piece I’ve wanted to write about the Wall Street Protests for awhile and I think it’s pretty good. Check it out and stay tuned for more to come:

Occupy Wall Street: Practicing American Principles

Examiner

I’ve been pretty busy with Examiner, too! Check these out:


Source: insidesocal

Cyndi Lauper’s “Home for the Holidays” to benefit NYC’s GLBT homelessness

Cyndi Lauper is a great straight ally, and this one looks like fun! I wanna go!

Fall Festivals this weekend on Long Island

Let the shopping begin!

Long Island Restaurant Week is back

Yup, starting this Sunday, November 6th, great restaurants all over the island will be serving up their best at an affordable three-course prix fixe menu for only $24.95. It’s a sweet deal and you can find links to all of the great participating restaurants within the piece.

NYC Up & Out

This is a review of one of my go-to websites for events of interest to LGBT’s in and around New York City. I get their weekly newsletter, which has given me plenty of ideas for pieces…one day, when I live in the city, I may actually get to experience a lot of the great things on this great website!



Well, I'd say that was a pretty productive week! As always, thanks for reading...

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October 13th, 2011 - Writing Wednesday; Hats Off to Lisa; Walmartian of the Week

Source: Coventry Telegraph

Okay, well last week I published my “Writing Wednesday” on Friday, so at least I’m a bit closer this time. Once again, time hasn’t allowed me to do too much by way of the written word, and so I can use all the help I can get…

Gather

Rihanna tops Madonna as fastest female to reach 20 top tens

At just 23 years of age, Rihanna has broken a record set by Madonna for the fastest female ever to reach 20 top ten hits on the Billboard charts with her latest, “We Found Love.”

New Music for the week of 10/10/11

There’s lots of new stuff this week, including an innovative and interactive new set by Bjork, Joe Jonas’ debut solo album, a long-awaited Evanescence, and lots more.



Y!CN

Chicken Spinach Meatballs

This one’s a rare recipe from me, and it’s easy, healthy and delicious!



Hats Off to Lisa!

I had wanted to do a piece on my friend Lisa’s salon, Hats Off, which celebrated its second anniversary yesterday, but like with all of my other writing, time just got the best of me. Anyway, Lisa is my friend who I reconnected with recently since she recognized me from 2nd grade religion class, and I’ve been going to her shop for the past couple of months.

Technically, Hats Off is a barbershop, but only in name. The place has more of a salon look and feel to it than your traditional white-jacketed, barber pole kind of place, and Lisa and her crew do an awesome job doing men’s cuts. AllBusiness.com did a piece on the shop when it first opened, which you can check out here.

So if you happen to live in the South Shore Long Island area and are looking for a great new place to get your haircut, then give Hats Off a try! The shop is located at 606-B Montauk Highway in Bayport, a little bit east of Broadway Avenue.

Walmartian of the Week

And we finish off this post with our weekly Walmartian. I don't know about you, but I'd be afraid to run into this one in the middle of the night!



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October 7th, 2011 - So much to write; Metro Fridays tonight; Writing Wednesday, two days late; Yankees sputter

TGIF everybody! It’s Columbus Day Weekend, I’ve got the next three days off and I couldn’t be happier for that. The tailbone is still smarting…I just can’t get comfortable no matter what I do, but we’re two days past where we were last time I posted and two days closer to feeling better. Here’s some of what’s been happening.


Source: Institute for Public Accuracy

So much to write, so little time

I’ve got so much to write and I’m still experiencing the frustration at not having the time to get it out. I’m afraid that I’m going to lose some of my ideas or that they’ll become too stale before I get to them, but I’m hoping that the weekend will afford me the time to get some things out there. I really want to get some points in on the Wall Street Protests and there are a couple of gay issues I’d like to address, as well. And then there's stuff on Mary J Blige’s new CD, Lady Gaga and Madonna….Ugh! Like I said, so much to write, so little time...we’ll see what happens.

Metro Fridays Tonight!

Tonight is the Grand Opening of Metro Fridays at the Lizard Lounge and I actually convinced my buds Rich and Bobby to come along with me. I'm hoping that it's going to be good enough so that I'll have a nice place to go to besides the city on a Friday night, so we'll see. If you want to know more about Metro Fridays, check out this piece:

Metro Fridays Comes to Lizard Lounge Friday, October 7th

Writing Wednesday, two days late...

Here is a two-day late version of “Writing Wednesday.” As you can see, I haven’t written too much:

Betty White a club singer?

Yes, last week 89 year-old actress and comedienne Betty White was the featured rap singer on a club song by British artist Luciana. There’s a link to the song in the piece…kinda funny!

More of the best Halloween spookfests on Long Island

This one’s an Examiner follow-up to a previous article about various haunted attractions around Long Island with several more cool places to get spooked for Halloween.

More Quotes to Inspire and Enrich Life

My latest collection of inspirational quotes taken from those I follow on Twitter. Great stuff!


Source: Daily News

A-Rod and the Yankees a bust

Well, last night we all found out that it just wasn’t meant to be for the Yankees this year as they lost the series to the Tigers, 3-2. The highly controversial and many think overrated and overpaid Alex Rodriguez struck out to end the game 3-2 in the Tiger’s favor. It was the second year in a row in which A-Rod ended the Yankees season with a whiff. Hmmm????

Ah well, a disappointment, but it's not the end of the world. We Yankee fans are spoiled…they’re virtually always in it and that’s a lot more than other teams, many other teams can say.

Well that’s all for the moment. I’ve got something else to share, but I want to address it in its own post, so keep an eye out for that. Until then, have a good one, and enjoy the longtime Yankees’ theme song to end a game or a season. Just wait til’ next year!




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September 28th, 2011 - Writing Wednesday; Smells Like Teen Spirit; Happy Birthday Nancy Lou

Happy Hump Day all! Actually, it’s already Wednesday night and so at the moment we’re all past that proverbial work-week hump, so hooray for that! It’s already been a long work week for me, with three long days so far, but tomorrow is the first day of Rosh Hashanah, and so there’s no school. I’m going to celebrate by heading out to Circus for the first time since summer and I am really looking forward to it, but first I’ve got some stuff to share…




Writing Wednesday

Johnny’s been a busy little writer this week, with stuff on all three sites. Check out my latest:

Y!CN

Rihanna gains steam with “We Found Love”

This was an article originally penned for Gather, but another writer beat me to the punch, so I did the next best thing and posted it to Y!CN. It’s all about the singer’s newest single, “We Found Love,” which I posted here as Song of the Day the other day, but had to take down when her record company deleted it. The tune is from her upcoming album and it’s one of those songs that’s got a great chorus that stays in your head long after listening to it. The link to the iTunes track is still on Friday’s blog post here, so you can preview it and buy it there or you can just wait til it hits radio stations on October 11th.

Gather

New Music for the Week of 9/26/11

My weekly bit on Gather with new stuff from Blink 182, Lee Ann Rimes and a celebratory 20th Anniversary release of Nirvana’s "Nevermind."

Nirvana's "Nevermind" is a classic album and this is the song that started a whole new movement:

Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana





Ten New Roller Coasters for 2011

After a slow summer of 2011, theme parks everywhere are adding new coasters to their rosters next year. Click the link to check out what’s in store.

Examiner

The best Halloween spookfests on Long Island

Ah, I love the Halloween season, and I love going to haunted houses and getting the bejesus scared out of me! This one’s a review of four of the best haunted attractions Long Island has to offer.

The 2011 Long Island GLBT Expo

I went to this one last year and ended up running into some old friends who hadn’t known my ‘secret,’ hehe. No, they aren’t PLU’s, but they were working the Citibank booth at the Expo and were in for a pleasant reunion and surprise when I walked by. Actually, this was a pretty good event, and I’m hoping to go again this Sunday.

Metro Fridays come to Lizard Lounge

We’re a little more than a week away from the Grand Opening of Metro Fridays at Lizard Lounge, home of Circus Wednesdays. I’m very excited about it because I miss going there every week and I think I actually convinced my buddy Dita to come with me to opening night. Let’s hope it’s a success!

Happy Birthday Nancy Lou!

Today is my pal Nancy Lou’s birthday, so I couldn’t let this go without mention. Here’s to you Nancy Lou! Hope you have a mahvellous birthday! Boop boop bee doop!



Well, that's all she wrote for today folks! Have a good one!

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Writing Wednesday, September 21st, 2011

Well, it's Wednesday night and we're just about over that hump...I'm a little out of gas...been a long week, but I wanted to put up some links to what I've been writing lately. It's been too long since the last Writing Wednesday...


Magnum XL-200 at Cedar Point - My favorite roller coaster and #3 on the list of the top 25 of 2011

Roller Coasters

Well, since I WAS going to go to Out at Night at Great Adventure this Friday, I've had coasters on my mind recently. I've done several pieces on roller coasters on both Examiner and Gather:

Out in the Park Events (at Six Flags New England and Great Adventure)

Halloween Fright Fests at Theme Parks Across America

This one got featured on Examiner's special Halloween page. Hoping for lots of page views! Besides, I love Fright Fest and I may just have to go this year.

Top 25 Wooden Coasters of 2011

Top 25 Steel Coasters of 2011

World's Best Amusement Parks for 2011

Fire Island

End of Season Fun at Cherry Grove

There are still a couple of parties going on at Cherry Grove before it closes for the season. I'm hoping to go to the Halloween Party at Cherry's on October 1st.

Gather Music

It seems I am now writing for Gather what I used to write for AC, or Y!CN. I kind of miss writing as much for them, but ever since they turned me down for their Featured Music Contributor position, things just haven't been the same! Anyway, here are some of those pieces:

New Music: Week of August 29th with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lenny Kravitz, Edwin McCain and Jill Scott.

New Music: Week of September 12th with Lady Antebellum, Bush and Blondie.

New Music: Week of September 19th with Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Demi Lovato, Tony Bennett and new mega-super group Superheavy.

There were two articles on David Guetta's fantastic "Nothing But the Beat," a general review and a track by track listing:

Guetta On Fire

"Nothing But the Beat: Track by Track"

If you don't already have this one, get it!!!!

Tony Bennett's "Duets II"

I previewed this one because it's got Amy Winehouse's very last recording with Bennett on "Body and Soul." The rest of it sounds pretty cool, too, if you're into that, and besides Mr. Bennett made news today with his remarks about 911. Tsk tsk!

Miscellaneous pieces from Y!CN

I posted a few pieces here and there for Yahoo Contributor Network recently on different topics. Check em out:

Remembering 9/11

I've linked this one here before. It started as an assignment, and then I flubbed it, lol. I think it's a pretty good piece, though!

My Fitness Routine

Another assignment piece...on how I keep fit...dancing's the word, mostly!

Volunteer's Corner: Feeding the Hungry

My latest in the series, this time on food pantries where people can volunteer for a really good cause. My neighbor and friend Terry has been doing it for years and she rocks!

So that's about it! It's really not a lot for three or four weeks, right? Makes me want to recharge my tired batteries and do something more pointed and consistent. Anyway, I'm heading on out to the city tomorrow night, hopefully to meet with Kona (still don't know for sure!), but even if I don't, at least I have Splash to look forward to. I'm off Friday...woo hoo!

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September 1, 2011 - Time to get off this ride...

Today is Thursday, September 1st and the summer is winding down to just a measly four days. It’s been an interesting summer at that: beautiful weather, clubbing on Fire Island and the city, hanging out with friends, dinners, lunches, doctors appointments and colonoscopies, etc., etc., etc. I’ve had a great time, mostly, but I think it is finally time to get off this ride…



The Grove with Reet

My good friend and fellow teacher Rita has been asking to go to Cherry Grove for awhile and yesterday was finally the day. She’d never been there before, at least as far as she could remember, and I was only too happy to take her. Ever since the hurricane/tropical storm on Monday, the weather has been picture perfect, almost fall-like, so it was a great day for a visit to the Grove.



There wasn’t a lot of activity over there, I guess because of the recent Irene visit, but you could sense the slowly building re-population leading up to the big weekend. Damage was really non-existent as far as we could tell. The only signs that Irene had come through were the buried fences around the sand dunes and a boarded up Jumping Jacks. Other than that and the small crowd, you’d never have known a hurricane had passed.



Rita and I had a nice day, walking around, having lunch, and of course having a drink or two at Cherry’s. Margarita’s was the drink of choice. Yum! In all, we spent about four hours in the sun, and really enjoyed a lazy, relaxing day in a beautiful place!



Time to get off this ride

Last night was the last time I would be going to Circus for awhile and in a way I’m glad. I’d planned on partying it up this last week and by the way things worked out last night, I’m going to follow through on those plans, but I definitely need a break after Sunday.

Rita, who’s had a newfound freedom these past couple of weeks, was ready to continue the party by joining me at Circus last night. Ozzie was going to be there as Ozzie, not Ruby, and it turned out he was one of no less than five people I’ve been connected with in recent months. Not a good thing!

I won’t go into the sordid details, but there were plenty of uncomfortable moments and by the time the drag show had ended I was done, mentally exhausted and I couldn’t wait to get home. I’m glad I’m going to Splash tonight because at least there I won’t know anybody…I hope!



Odds N Ends

I want to give a special shout-out to my friend Ivan, who I met in the city the other night for some dancing. Ivan is such a good guy and I’m so happy that he and I have remained friends. I had a blast with him and I hope he did too!

I just got off the phone with my ex, Joe. It’s funny because I was thinking about him a lot yesterday and viola, he called. Every once in awhile I get to missing him and even though our life together was a lifetime ago, I still feel like I need to connect with him sometimes. He’s still a great guy and I do miss having him around in my life, and even though I may not show it to him, I still get a little sad when we talk and I have to hear about his wonderful life with his new partner. Sigh!

I got a call from Arnoldo yesterday. He’s out of the hospital again! Let’s hope this time its permanent.

Writing Wednesday

Well, even though it’s Thursday, I’m going to post “Writing Wednesday” today since I missed it yesterday. Here’s what I’ve been up to…

Gather

Hurricane Irene weakens as it slams New York

New Music Releases for the week of August 29th

Lots of good stuff this week!

Y!CN

Though I missed a paid assignment on this topic for Y!CN, I still put a couple of articles up before, during and after Irene:

Waiting on Irene

A Not So Welcome Irene

The Cleanup

I also posted one assignment:

Twitter for iPhone

Examiner

Fun Stuff on Long Island this Labor Day Weekend


Can anybody say Elton John?

Of course, all of these articles are on top of the great stuff I've written here, lol. I wanted to mention also that I've got a couple of new sponsors for the site. I only choose places that I think are valuable and where I shop, so please feel free to click on any of the links below or anywhere else on this blog for great deals on cool stuff! As always, thanks for reading and have a great day!







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August 24th, 2011 - Come on Irene; What Earthquake?; Opening Up; Writing Wednesday; H is for "High Rise"

Happy Hump Day everyone! It’s yet another beautiful summer day on Long Island and here I sit in my office, in the middle of the day, typing away, lol. This is my last bit of writing for the day, thankfully, and then I can get on with doing stuff I should be doing…outside! Here’s the latest from my so called life…


Photo Source: cbs news

Come on Irene!

For the first time in a long time, we here in the northeast are under watch for the latest hurricane, Irene, which seems to be heading in our direction. We’ve had these types of warnings many times in the past and a lot of them turned out to be nothing more than some rain and a little wind, and I hope that’s the case this time, too. They’re saying Sunday, so anything can happen between now and then. We haven’t had one since I bought my house in 98 and I shudder to think about one hitting here full force because I have a lot of trees in my yard. Fingers crossed and stay tuned…


Photo Source: Watt's Up With That?

Earthquake? What Earthquake?

I think I am probably the only person I know who didn’t feel the Earth trembling at yesterday’s earthquake, which struck in Virginia but was felt all over the Eastern Seaboard. I spoke to a couple of people who felt it around 2PM, but I didn’t even know about it until much later. They say it’s the strongest earthquake to ever hit the area at 5.6 on the Richter, and of course the end-of-the-worlders are out in full force. Gimme a break!



Opening up

As I told you the other day, I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the things I put on this blog. It all started when I got a nasty and derogatory email from a reader that made me do a lot of thinking. More than a week has passed now and several friends have given me cause to keep doing what I’m doing and not be affected by such malicious nonsense. After all, this is my space and if anyone doesn’t want to read it, they don’t have to.

Though I have no idea specifically what the emailer was referring to in his rant, I had removed a piece I thought he might have been responding to, a poem about my recent face to face encounter with him. At the moment I have no plans to republish it in full, but here’s an abridged version of the original that I had penned a week ago Sunday:

Yet another regretful episode in this muddled story
A chance meeting unforeseen
At almost the very spot where we first met
We’d both imagined this in our minds
Yet neither could know what really to expect

It all happened so suddenly
I looked up with disbelieving eyes into your face
And saw you looking into mine
And in a flash, all I could think of to do was turn and run
But you saw me as I saw you and called to me from behind

At that point, the deed was done
The circumstance of our encounter was settled
You were excited and I was terrified
My reaction dampened your evening and mine
The latest in a series of miscommunications between us

Running away was not the mature thing to do
Yet it was an impulse borne out of months of despair
And yes, anger, at the very thought of you
I regret the action and wish I could take it back
But what’s done cannot be undone

I don’t know how you expected me to react
With a smile and a hug, perhaps
Some genuine catching up of old friends
I laid it all out for you the last time
In a way I believed to be noble and complete

Whatever happens from here forth
Please understand that there were reasons for my action
Perhaps a little subconscious hurt thrown your way
In return for the hurt I’d endured
A little bit of karma in action

I know you couldn’t see
Through all of the discomfort between us
That deep down it was nice to see you again
In the flesh
The same person I so cared for once upon a time

So take good care of yourself
I’m happy to hear you’re in a better place these days
Should there be a next time, don’t worry
I promise not to turn my back again
Next time I’ll flash you a brilliant smile, I promise!

Reading this over once again, I don’t think there's anything about it I need to feel bad about writing, either on myself or on him. It's just the openness and feeling that I always express in my writing, no matter the subject. Yes, my experiences with him were some tough moments in my life and even though I’m in a good place now, contact of any sort inevitably brings back memories, bad and good. So I make no apologies for penning the piece, and I’m glad to share it once again with you.

It’s funny, but things have taken a sad turn even since I wrote the piece. After not having seen him for seven months, I ran into him three straight times at Splash, the last time being last night. Though I meant what I said in the last stanza, things haven’t gone exactly that way in subsequent encounters. There’s kind of a distant iciness there now, like we're both sort of pretending not to see each other while we’re standing just a few feet away. It's weird and uncomfortable, and no fun at all. I guess the circumstances from that night have brought us to this, starting with my reaction almost two weeks ago.

It’s a little unnerving and sad, but I guess that’s just the way it’s going to be. At least there’s just one more week of Splash Tuesdays and/or Thursdays for me, and so I’ll return to going there on Saturdays again afterwards and these random contacts shouldn’t happen anymore anyway.

Related post: Untitled

Writing Wednesdays

Well, I already missed the second week of Writing Wednesdays, and so here are links to some of the pieces I’ve been up to…

Gather

Amy Winehouse Tributes by Green Day, Coldplay and at the VMAs

Gaga’s “You and I” exemplifies her musical versatility

Spotlight on new music releases for the week of August 22nd

Preview of the 2011 VMAs

Yahoo Contributor Network

Elton John's Top Twenty Songs

Pesto: Easy, Delicious and Versatile

Volunteer's Corner: Working to Protect and Preserve the Environment of Long Island and Beyond

What Are You Listening To? Summer 2011

Examiner

Fun outdoor activities on Long Island this weekend

H is for "High Rise"

During my "Song of the Day" posting in dedication to Nick Ashford, who passed away yesterday, I mentioned another of Ashford and Simpson songs that I loved whose title just happens to start with the letter "H," the next letter in our Z-A Blogger's Challenge. Bonus! The vid's a little grainy, but the song is oh so sweet sounding! Enjoy!





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Wednesday Writing Recap

Since I first started this blog as a means to promote my writing elsewhere, I've been somewhat remiss in doing so as this blog has takenn a new life of its own in recent months. Nevertheless, I am still writing for other websites and that's where I get paid, so I decided to do a new feature called Wednesday's Writing Recap. It is aimed at promoting all of the articles I've written (choice ones, anyway) during the past week, and so in our first installment, we have a little more than a week's worth to catch up on. Please feel free to click on any of the titles that might be of interest as it would help me greatly!

Gather

Gather is the newest site that I write for and even after three months I'm still learning the ropes. They are search engine driven, and as such my articles there only stay up for about a month's time. Unfortunately I don't get paid for anything I write there until I reach 150 page views and some of the articles below are close, so please do some clicking...

Missy Elliot comeback begins with new Katy Perry remixThe top ten videos of the '80s, chosen by the fans

I've always loved Missy Elliot and finally, after six long years on hiatus, she is back with some new projects and her upcoming 7th studio album, "Block Party."

David Guetta's Hot, New "Nothing But The Beat" Coming in August

Writing this one revved me upp for this album, the long-awaited follow up to the deejay/producer's smash "One Love" CD.

MTV VMA's first three performers announced

The VMA's are coming and they're always quite a spectacle. With the announcement of these artists to the performers list, this year should be no different. (*Mental note - Need to do a follow-up on this one!)

Amy Winehouse's music sure to follow trend in posthumous album sales

This one's all about how music artists' music after their death sometimes becomes more popular than before. Amy Winehouse has a lot of unreleased stuff that's sure to make waves once it hits the airwaves.

What to expect from Madonna's new album

Yes, as of July 4th, Mo is back in the sstudio. It's been a long time and any Madonna fan is super excited at the prospect of a new one from the Queen.

Fallon and Timberlake's 'History of Rap' proves genre's staying power

Recently Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake did another mash-up tribute to some of raps greats. There's a video linkk in this one, so be sure to check it out.

Yahoo Contributor Network

A Teacher's Unforgettable First Day at School

This was an assignment for Y!CN writers about best and worst memories of the first day at school. Since I'm a teacher, I shared memories of a day I'll never forget as a teacher.

Crossroads: A New and Unfortunate Direction

The latest and most unhappy turn of events in this real-life series....stay tuned...

Thank You for Being a Friend

A drag performance of the Golden Girls theme inspired this one!

Music Suggestions for a Gay Wedding in New York

This one was meant to be funny...lol

Amy's Legacy

My own personal tribute to Amy Winehouse.

Examiner

Keep cool this weekend at LI Theaters

Some really good stuff happening this weekend at theaters around Long Island.

The Coasters of Six Flags Great Adventure

This one's been updated to include the new Green Lantern coaster.

Five Guys Burgers n Fries

I've discovered a great new burger joint!

LI Catering Venues get in on Gay Wedding Market

You knew this was going to happen, didn't you?

Ascension Beach Party Weekend at Fire Island Pines

I soooo want to go! Kristine W, Alexis Jordan and Crystal Waters will be performing.

LIGALY's "Refresh Everything" proposal to fight anti-gay bullying on LI

LIGALY is always fighting the good fight, so get out there and help them win this grant.

Circus Wednesdays at Lizard Lounge

My new favorite Long Island gay bar!

Well, that's all she (or rather he) wrote! As always, a great big hearty thankk you to all of you who check in with John's World regularly. I truly appreciate your readership. Have a great day!

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August 6th, 2011 - Happy Birthday Lucy; Friends and Food; A Saucy Night at Splash; Party in the Grove

Today is Saturday, August 6th, 2011 and it is Lucille Ball’s 100th birthday. Google is honoring the occasion with a really cool logo, so if you’re reading this today, you should definitely check it out. Though Lucy was even before my time, I still grew up watching those hysterical reruns and still get a chuckle whenever I see them. Classic!

Throw Me a Topic

Ah, what to write, what to write? I’ve really wanted to talk more about the situation with my house, but I’ve been distracted from it the past couple of days (in a good way!) and I don’t really want to talk about it until I’m back in that mode, which I know will come soon. I made several phone calls this week and things are being looked at by the bank, so I have no idea where this is going to go, but I know I’ve got to prepare myself mentally. Stay tuned…

Friends and Food

As I mentioned the other day, my friend Eddie (AKA Rose) is here from Florida and I’ve been spending some time with him and Rich and Bobby (Dita and Blanche!). He, Rich and I hit the Good Steer the other night, which is one of those Long Island places that everybody around here knows. They have these delectable fried onion strings that they serve with their delicious burgers and though I don’t get there too often, it’s always reliably fantastic! In fact, I posted the words “Good Steer” on my Facebook page when I got there and several former Long Islanders made yearning comments about the place. For more on the place, check out this article on Y!CN:

Where to Find Great Burgers on Long Island

A Saucy Night at Splash with Oz

After leaving the Good Steer it was off to Splash. This was the third straight time that I’ve gone there with people. First it was Laura Kim and Michael, then it was Paul, and this week I went with Ozzie. Campus Thursdays is one of the club’s most popular nights and this Thursday it was as crowded as I’d ever seen it. Not only was the place packed in, but many of the patrons were a little wild, to say the least.

I’m starting to learn that Mr. Oz is one popular dude! We ran into a lot of people he knew, all from Long Island, of course, including Julian, the guy who won the Mr. Gay LI at Circus the other night. That dude I met at Ozzie’s house last week, Jeremy, also showed up and boy was he a grouch! All in all it was a great time, despite the naughty groping by the wild crowd. The deejay was rocking and before you knew it, Ozzie and I were heading out the door at 4:30 AM. I walked in the door to my house at 6… Am I getting too old for this…..nah!

Grove Party Tonight!

I don’t know what’s been happening lately, and I actually think I’m starting to miss going out alone, but we four friends are going to Cherry Grove together this evening. It’s been like forever since Rose has been there and I know several people who are also going, so I am very excited!!!! Stay tuned…

In honor of Lucille Ball’s 100th Birthday, here’s my all time favorite scene from the I Love Lucy Show. It’s an early episode when Lucy thinks Ricky is missing his native Cuba and she tries to make him feel more at home by dressing the place up like Cuba and putting on a side-splitting imitation of Carmen Miranda, of course with the help of Ethel, her partner in crime. So funny!



So thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend!

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